PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Trail Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge and guard Damian Lillard have both been named reserves for the NBA All-Star game.
It is the ninth time that the Blazers will have two representatives in the game, which will be played this year in New Orleans on Feb. 16. The last time the Blazers sent a pair was in 1994, when both Clyde Drexler and Cliff Robinson were named to the team.
Aldridge, given his third All-Star nod by a vote of Western Conference coaches, is the 11th Blazer to make multiple All-Star teams, and the fifth to be named at least three times.
In his seventh NBA season, Aldridge is averaging career highs of 24.3 points, 11.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists. His play has paced Portland’s success this season: After missing out on the playoffs last year, the Blazers are 33-13 and in third place in the Western Conference standings.
He joked Thursday at the Blazers’ practice facility that he booked his hotel in New Orleans two weeks ago.
As for his advice to Lillard, Aldridge laughed: “First time you touch it, shoot it. If you pass it, you will not get it back.”
Lillard, last season’s Rookie of the Year, is making his first All-Star game appearance. He played in the game between rookies and second-year players last season.
He is averaging 20.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 5.6 assists.
The starters for the Western Conference All-Star team include the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant, Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant, the Clippers’ Blake Griffin, Minnesota’s Kevin Love and Golden State’s Stephen Curry.
In addition to Aldridge and Lillard, the reserves include Houston’s James Harden and Dwight Howard, Dallas’ Dirk Nowitzki, San Antonio’s Tony Parker and the Clippers’ Chris Paul.
The East’s starters are Cleveland’s Kyrie Irving, Miami’s Dwyane Wade, Miami’s LeBron James, the Knicks’ Carmelo Anthony and Indiana’s Paul George.
They’ll be joined by Miami’s Chris Bosh, Toronto’s DeMar DeRozan, Atlanta’s Paul Millsap, the Wizards’ John Wall, Brooklyn’s Joe Johnson, Indiana’s Roy Hibbert and Chicago’s Joakim Noah.
The East team will be coached by Indiana’s Frank Vogel, while Oklahoma City’s Scott Brooks will lead the West.
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